UPSC Interview Syllabus & Requirements

Table of Contents

Whats UPSC Interview?

The UPSC interview is the final stage of the UPSC Civil Services Examination(CSE). The interview is conducted to assess the candidate’s personality, and suitability for a career in public service.

The UPSC Interview is conducted by a board of competent and unbiased observers who have 40+ years of experience in public administration. The interview is held at UPSC Bhavan, Dholpur House, New Delhi. The Interview giving candidates are required to appear in person.

The interview is conducted for a total of 275 marks. The interview is conducted in English or Hindi, and the candidates are expected to have a good command of the language they choose.

The Personality Test is designed to assess the candidate’s personality traits, such as mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, the balance of judgment, variety and depth of interest, the ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity, and other qualities that are required for a career in public service.

The Interview is designed to assess the candidate’s knowledge of current affairs, general awareness, and suitability for a career in public service.

Requirements of UPSC Interview

UPSC in its official notification says,

“The candidate will be interviewed by a Board who will have before them a record of the candidate’s career. The candidate will be asked questions on matters of general interest.”

The object of the Interview/Personality Test is to assess the personal suitability of the candidate for a career in public service by a Board of competent and unbiased observers.
UPSC Official Notification

UPSC Interview Board will look at following things:

The Interview/Personality Test is intended to judge the mental calibre of a candidate.
In broad terms this is really an assessment of not only intellectual qualities but also social traits and interest in current affairs.
Some of the qualities to be judged are mental alertness, critical powers of assimilation, clear and logical exposition, balance of judgement, variety and depth of interest, ability for social cohesion and leadership, intellectual and moral integrity.
The technique of the Interview/Personality Test is not that of a strict cross-examination but of a natural, though directed and purposive conversation which is intended to reveal the mental qualities of the candidate.
The Interview/Personality Test is not intended to be a test either of the specialized or general knowledge of the candidates which has been already tested through their written papers.
Candidates are expected to have taken an intelligent interest not only in their special subjects of academic study but also in the events which are happening around them both within and outside their own State or Country as well as in modern currents of thought and in new discoveries which should rouse the curiosity of well-educated youth.”

Conclusion

In order to score more marks in UPSC Interview, one should be aware about what board members are looking in candidates personality. UPSC Interview is not about knowledge test but its more like Personality Test. If we have to describe UPSC Personality Test(CSPT) in one line, “It is a…